Rooter



ROOTER Filed Aug. 20, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. 1?. G. Le7ourneauROOTER Filed Aug. 20, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. R.GLe7urneauROOTER Filed Aug. 20, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTR. R. G. L67 urn eau.

= Robert G. Le Tourneur. leorfia, 111., assignor 1.0

R. G. Le fourneau, Inc.

Application Autflst 20, 1945, Serial No. 611,576

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates in general to an 1mproved earth working implementof the type known as a "rooter; such an implement conventionallyincluding a forwardly and downwardly inclined tooth unit rigidlysupported from a draft frame adapted to be tractor drawn. Heretoiore theentire impact of the tooth unit against any obstacle, such as a sectionof extremely hard packed earth, or a rock, was imparted to said toothunit solely by the traction of the tractor. This was a limiting factorin the use of the implement.

It is there1ore an object of this invention to provide a rooter whichincludes a novel tooth unit associated with power means operative tforcefully actuate the tooth forwardly in a material breaking directionindependently of, or in supplement to, the force in such directionderived from the traction of the tractor.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rooter which includesa tooth unit having a heavy-duty tooth movable forwardly in guidedrelation from normal abutment against a rigid backing member, and apower cylinder arranged to reciprocate a plunger mounted to deliverpowerful hammer-like blows to the tooth at the rear end whereby toadvance the tooth beyond the abutment member and to shatter anybreakable obstacle against which the tooth may be engaged.

A further object is to provide a simple and inexpensive device, and yetone which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it isdesigned.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relativearrangement et parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the followingspecification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the implement, showing the wheelslowered and the tooth unit elevated above ground, as for transport.

Figure 2 is an enlarged ragmentary sectional elevation showing the toothunit in ground engagement, but with the poweractuated plunger retracted.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but shows the power actuatedplunger advanced into hammer-like engagement with the shank of thetooth.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference in thedrawings, the implement comprises a longitudinal, heavy-duty main trameI provided at its forward end with a hitch adapted for connection withthe drawbar of a tractor. Adjacent but short of the rear end of the mainframe I the implement includes a pair 7 swing frame 3 with resultant upor down movement et the wheels 2 relative to the frame.

Rearwardly of the wheels 2 and swing frame 3 the implement is providedwith an earth working mechamsm which comprises the following A rigid,forwardly and downwardly inclined body, indicated generally at 1, cfrelatively narro-w configuration, is fixed on the rear end of with. anoutwardly projecting,

the mainframe I and includes, in adjacent but rpaced-apart relation, apair of side walls 8. a

front plate 9, and a bottom formed by an clongated tubular guideway 10between said side walls. This tubular guideway HI opens at its lower endin a forward and downward direction.

The ground engaging or rooter tooth is indicated at H and includes arearwardly projecting shank I2 of reduced diameter which slidablyengages. in matching relation, in the lower end portion ofthe tubularguideway Il]. The inner end of the tooth Il outwardly of the shank l2,forms a shoulder 13 which normally abuts against the lower end of theguideway In. The shank 12 is formed with a longitudinal 3101; M, throughwhich a cross pin I 5 on the guideway engages; this slot and pinarrangement limiting advancing movement of the tooth H from a positionwith the shoulder I3 in en agement with the forward end of the guidewayIl). as shown in Fig. 2. to a predetermined advanced position, as shownin Fig. 3.

At its upper and rear end the body 1 is fltted double-.actin8 powercyllndr le 01 fluid pressure tpe; said power cylinder being mounted onthe body in axlal alinement with the tubular guideway Il! by means of-matching flanges I1. The power cylinder I8 includes a piston l8 and a.downwardly and fo1wardly projecting piston rod 19 attached at its lowerand forward end to a heavy duty blunger 20 slidably disposedin thetubular guideway III.

The plunger 20 is of such length that when retracted. as in Fig. 2, itslower end 13 clear of the upper end of the shank l2. However, the

The double acting power cylinder l6 includs fluid pressure conduits 2lleading to opposite ends thereof, and such conduitsare adapted to beconnectd, through the medium 01 a two way valve (net shown), with afiuidpressure.sdurce on the tractor. Such valve may be of hand type so as toprovide for manual control of reciprocation of the piston .l8, or thevalve may be automatically controlled from the piston to provide formultiple high speed reciprocation of the piston to acconiplisha rapidlyrecurfing hammering action on,the shank l2.

When the implement is in use, and the tooth Il comes into engagementwith an obstacle such as a rock unbreakable by the force imparted fromthe traction of the tractor, the operator proceeds as follows:

The tractor is driven forwardly until the tooth ll is firmly in contactWith such obstacle, and at which time the tooth is in the retractedpositi on 01 Fig. 2. Thereaiter, the double acting power cylinder l isactuated, resulting in the plunger 20 producing a hammering action onthe shank l2, driving the same forwardly to shatter the obstacle againstwhich said tooth is engaged. Thus, the tractive force of the tracter issupplemented by powertul means, and as a result obstacles heretoforeunbreakable can now be readily disintegrated by the implement.

Replacement of the tooth Il can be accomplished readily and quickly bymerely withdrawing the cross pinl5, permitting the shank l2 to be slidout of the lower end portion of the tubular guideway l0.

From the foregoing description it Will be readily seen that there hasbeen produced such a device as*substantiafly fulfills the objects of theinvention, as'set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and pref erredconstruction of the device, still in practice such deviations from suchdetail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit ofthe invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new anduseful and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

1. A rooter comprising a longitudinal rigid main frame, a hitch at oneend of the frame for connecting such frame to a draft means, a crossaxle on the main frame, a swing frame pivoted on said cross axle, wheelsjournaled on the swing trame and operable to engage the ground and liftthe main trame w hen the svlinxframe is moved in one direction and tomove away from the ground and lower the main frame when the wing trameis moved in the opposite direction, a rooter unit flxed at the rear endvof the main trame and rigid therewith, such rooter unit being in theiorm of a generally tapering body projecting -downwardiy and forwardlyfrom the main frame and terminating at its forward end in a diggingpoint. such point being sepate from the body but connected thereto forrelative reciprocating movement with respect thereto, and power meansmounted in connection with such rooter unit and operable to impart suchmovement to the point, the rooter unit including said body and pointbeing operable to be submerged below the ground levei upon the maintrame beingpufled forward with a concurrent lifting of the wheels.

2. A structure as in claim 1 in which the tapering ody is made up ofreiativlythin side and top plates. the'bottom of said body being in theform of a tubular member interposed between the side plates and openingadjacent the.apex of the body, the point being a relatively-hard solidelement, a shank on the point projecting into the lower end .of thetubular member with a sliding fit whereby to provide for saidreciprocating movement of the point.

3. A rooter comprising a longitudinal rigid main frame, a rooter unitrigidly secured to the main frame, such unit including a relativelynarrow body projecting downwa;rdly and forwardly relative to the maintrame,a digging point disposed at the lower end of the body, such point.

projecting forwardly of the plane of the front edge of the body, saidpoint being separate from the body but connected therto for relativereciprocatory movement with respect thereto. power means mounted inconnection with said unit and operable to impart such movement to thepoint, and means to pull the main frame forwardiy and to aimultaneouslylower the same wherebyyto submerg th rooter unit below the groundsurface.

ROBERT G. IlOURNEAU.

IREFEENCES CITE!) The followitig references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS La Rue June 1, 1943

